


fishing for love

by Quiverquill



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Dimitri attempts to fish, Fishing, Fluff, Gift Fic, M/M, Male My Unit | Byleth, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), While also pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:15:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28026900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quiverquill/pseuds/Quiverquill
Summary: Dimitri has no idea how Byleth finds the time to fish enough food to feed nearly the entire monastery. Even more astounding is that his professor does this all by his lonesome. Surely Byleth would appreciate a little assistance, right?And, obviously, Dimitri would have absolutely no ulterior motive if he were to offer his help.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 7
Kudos: 74





	fishing for love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Devilseabiscuit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Devilseabiscuit/gifts).



> Happy birthday, biscuit!! I hope you have a great day, love you sis <3
> 
> This is my first shot at dimileth, so I hope you enjoy!

It was normal to have a crush on your teacher, right?

That was unfair to say. Byleth had not been Dimitri’s professor for many years, and yet still the old title rolled off the prince’s tongue so easily. Perhaps it was the fact that the Kingdom army was based in the Monastery itself, the bittersweet memories that hung over the place like a cloud which bid Dimitri to refer to his old teacher that way, or perhaps it was his subconscious way of recognising Byleth’s authority over him – even though, officially, there was no one in all of Fódlan that was above Dimitri in authority.

If the war was to end in their favour, it would stay that way.

There was a lot for Dimitri to do, now that he was contributing meaningfully to the war effort. Through it all, Byleth was his mentor and guide; Dimitri would still be lost to madness without him. His old professor held no official authority over him, but there was no doubt in the prince’s mind that Byleth was truly above them all. In wisdom, in kindness, even in modesty– Byleth had no equal.

It stirred a flame in Dimitri’s chest, one he thought he’d lost years ago, along with the rest of himself. He remembered when that flame had lit, when Byleth had smiled so softly for the first time. He remembered when it was snuffed out, the day when his dear professor disappeared, never to be seen again.

Until now.

It baffled him, that Byleth could  _ so extraordinary,  _ and yet could be so blind to his own greatness. Even now, as Dimitri’s right-hand and Head Tactician of the Kingdom army, Byleth refused to acknowledge that he was a god walking among men, humble as he raced around the monastery, constantly checking up on people on the basis of a simple chat to ease their state of mind. He treated the most mundane of tasks as if they were the key to winning the war (which was true, of course, cumulatively) and he didn’t seem to be slowing down, much like Dimitri himself. Unlike Dimitri however, Byleth seemed to know what the concept of rest was.

No matter how desperate their situation became, Byleth never seemed phased. It was another one of his amazing qualities that left Dimitri in awe, how relaxed the ex-professor looked during his day-to-day. He was an inspiration, carrying nearly all of the Kingdom morale on his shoulders with no sweat.

Even there, at the end of the peer, on a mission to catch enough fish to feed the entire monastery, Byleth seemed that he could be no more at ease in this world.

Most people wouldn’t notice the slight tells that showed how happy Byleth was at this moment. Dimitri wouldn’t be so bold as to say that he knew better than most people, but he felt like he understood Byleth more now rather than when the man had been his professor all those years ago. It was the calm set of his shoulders, the slow blink of his otherwise piercing stare, the fact that he chose to sit rather than stand.

The first time Dimitri had witnessed that man smile, it had been downright mesmerizing. He wasn’t smiling now, but the sight still warmed Dimitri’s heart. The constant screams of the dead were quelled just by his mere presence, as if they had learned that they could not reach Dimitri when Byleth was near.

It would be wrong of Dimitri to intrude upon this moment. Everyone needs their time alone sometimes, he knew that well, and certainly no one would want a beast like him to barge in. However, Dimitri did not want to turn away, not yet. There was a fear in him, deep in his bones, that the professor’s smile would disappear again, as it once had.

And so, Dimitri watched in silence, if only for one more moment. He had work to do, after all – he was five years behind schedule – and there was nothing pragmatic about watching another man fish. It would be better for everyone if he did something more productive with his time…

A spare fishing pole leaned against the stall at the peer.

Once it caught his eye, Dimitri could not draw his gaze away from it. It called to his foolish brain, planting within it foolish notions, daring him to follow through with his own foolish actions.

The fishing pole was in his hands in seconds.

“Would you mind terribly if I joined you?”

Byleth turned, a gleam in his eye that could almost be called surprised upon his blank face. Dimitri loomed above him, his shoulders hunched as he tried his best to seem less imposing even as his large frame blotted out the sun. Byleth did not react besides awkwardly scooting to the side to make more room for the huge prince.

“Dimitri. You can join.”

The prince smiled gratefully, sitting beside Byleth at the end of the fishing dock. His ex-professor blinked rapidly as the sun shone once more on his face, before handing Dimitri a small bucket filled with flyworms.

Dimitri took the bucket with care, a small chuckle escaping him. “Ah, thank you, professor. I almost forgot to bait my line, how silly of me.” Byleth must have known before Dimitri ever sat down that he’d mess up like that. The professor had a terrifyingly accurate intuition, almost like he could predict the future.

Byleth hummed in response, providing nothing more. That’s usually how conversations went with him. He was quiet, and yet there was something about his mere presence that made Dimitri want to tell him all of his own secrets, spill his entire life story. Dimitri was sure he wasn’t the only one who felt this way.

For now, however, Dimitri was content to merely bait his fishing hook and cast his line, sitting in companionable silence. He glanced over at Byleth, watching how the sunlight glittered in his celestial green eyes now that Dimitri was no longer casting his shadow over Byleth’s face. He looked… serene. Dimitri was no poet and therefore had no hope in describing it, but there was a certain softness about his companion’s features, the goddess-blessed man clearly finding respite in what was often considered a menial task by others.

It wasn’t very boring when Byleth held the fishing pole, however. Barely a minute passed between each fish his professor caught, tossing the creature into another bucket with little fanfare. Unsurprisingly, his dear professor was an unparalleled master of all, including even the mundane art of fishing. By the time the bucket was full, Dimitri still hadn’t gotten a single bite.

“How do you do it?” Dimitri eventually asked, breaking his awed silence. “I fear I am going about this wrong.”

Byleth glanced over at the prince, green eyes alight with a gleam that stole the breath from Dimitri’s lungs. His professor shrugged. “Patience. And good bait.”

The prince nodded. “I see. Your guidance is deeply appreciated.” Not that it did him any good, but Dimitri was still eternally grateful that Byleth was willing to spare wisdom to a mere beast like him.

Byleth caught six more fish. Dimitri’s line was still.

He was definitely doing something wrong. Perhaps Byleth was blessed to catch multitudes of fish – if Dimitri was a fish, he’d probably want to be caught by Byleth as well, a strange notion though it was. Or perhaps it was Dimitri himself, that his monstrous form scared away any fish from his hook. But how could that be, when Byleth’s line was so nearby?

“You’re frowning.”

Dimitri startled slightly at the professor’s voice, feeling his face shift in his surprise. “Ah, was I? I apologise, I was just lost in thought. Forgive me if I seemed a little… distracted.”

The last time Byleth had told him he was  _ “frowning,” _ Dimitri had again been lost in his thoughts, blinking only to find that the young soldier he’d been speaking to was shaking in their boots. He knew he was a monster–  _ Goddess knows _ he did– but honestly, was his face really  _ that _ terrifying? Dimitri’s stomach turned. He must have his professor uncomfortable, for him to call him out on glowering at the fishing pond.

“It’s alright,” Byleth responded. “I don’t mind.” Dimitri felt his face warm, and immediately his heart was eased. Somehow, Byleth always knew when to comfort him, even with the simplest words. Dimitri could swear the man was able to read minds, another seemingly supernatural quality he had.

He relaxed, focusing on his line. It was loose, free from the pull of anything within the pond. Beside him, Byleth swept another fish up out of the water and onto the dock. And then another, not long later. And then another. And another.

Dimitri tried his best to keep his face neutral in his growing frustration, attempting to heed Byleth’s sound advice.  _ Patience.  _ He just needed patience. It used to come to him so easily after all, surely it wasn’t all that difficult? If not for himself, he was willing to stay calm for Byleth’s sake rather than his own. Byleth loved fishing, after all.

Wouldn’t it be perfect, if Dimitri could catch a fish? He’d take it and cook it up himself, maybe even turning to Dedue for a little bit of help, and then offer the newly cooked fish to Byleth as thanks for all his professor had done for him. It wouldn’t repay his debt – no, Dimitri would be singing Byleth’s praises to the end of his days – but it was the least he could do to show his gratitude.

Perhaps, if he got the hang of it, Dimitri could provide Byleth a plentiful bounty of fish to eat every single day, and his dear professor would never need to go hungry, not while Dimitri was around. The monastery pantry would be practically overflowing with fish, even more so than the small bucket Byleth had set upon the dock, and, oh, his professor would be  _ so happy _ with him, which would make a wide grin cross his face and his monotone voice would dance through the dining hall as he’d say  _ thank you so much, Dimitri, you’re so– _

There was the slightest tug on the end of Dimitri’s line, and the prince yanked it skyward with the force of a raging typhoon.

The fishing pole immediately exploded in his grip, the wood splintering as the end of the pole snapped clean off and flipped into the air alongside his fish, soaring over the pond before the both of them landed in the water far from the dock with a small, pathetic  _ plop. _

Dimitri watched his fishing pole sink to the bottom of the pond, his hopes and dreams drowning with it.

“Ah,” he heard Byleth say beside him. “That was funny.”

“I’m so sorry, professor!” Dimitri cried, staring down at the splintered remains of the fishing pole in his monstrous grip. “I-I will replace that! I swear it, I’ll fashion you a new one with my own two hands!”

“There’s no need.” Byleth was practically whispering by how much quieter his tone was compared to Dimitri’s own. He lifted his own fishing pole, cocking his head toward it. “I’ve got one right here.”

“W-well, yes, professor, I can see that, but–!”

“Come here.” Byleth cut off the prince’s apologetic ramblings, holding out his pole for Dimitri to take. Gaping, Dimitri obeyed, lowering his own ruined pole to gently take hold of Byleth’s. The professor did not let go of it, instead shuffling closer so that they both held the pole in their hands. Dimitri felt his face burn as their shoulders brushed together, his heart racing from Byleth’s proximity.

“Professor, I– what are you doing?”

“You wait until the fish bites,” Byleth said, and Dimitri recognised that tone of voice. It was his instructing voice, one the prince hadn’t had directed at him in so long, and yet Dimitri felt his spine straighten as he immediately snapped to attention. “When it does, you draw it closer, not out of the water, not yet. You pull it out of the water once it’s close enough to both the dock and the surface of the water.”

Dimitri felt himself nod diligently, turning to focus on the water as Byleth expected him to. Very soon after, there was a tug on his line– Byleth’s influence, perhaps?

Instinctively, his hands gripped the pole tighter, but he relaxed his hands when the wood gave an ominous creak. Byleth was drawing the pole backwards, and Dimitri moved with him. Within mere moments there was a fish floundering in Dimitri’s hands.

Dimitri stared at it in awe, feeling a laugh bubble in his throat. Unbidden, it escaped out of his mouth, a breathy little thing, and Dimitri held up the fish in his hands for Byleth to see.

“I-I caught one! And it was all because of you, professor– from the bottom of my heart, truly, I thank you!”

Byleth smiled back at him, not at all phased by the extreme fanfare Dimitri had placed on catching one single fish. His smile was a wondrous sight that warmed Dimitri to his bones, despite the cold, slimy feeling the fish had left upon his palms.

They continued like that, four hands to catch each fish, and Dimitri found he hadn’t felt such pride in himself in so long, even if this roundabout method was perhaps not the most productive for catching fish. The workaholic prince could not find it in himself to care.

He hoped Byleth was hungry, as Dimitri greatly intended for his favourite person in all of Fódlan to feast upon the biggest bounty of fish the dining hall had ever seen.

**Author's Note:**

> When Dimitri isn't looking, Byleth gives half of his fish to the rest of the blue lions and still has enough fish to feed himself for a week
> 
> Again, Happy Birthday biscuit! I hope this was what you wanted :)
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated! thank you for reading <3


End file.
